Archive for ‘Palim’

Sarah – there is a lot you could learn from the life of Ted Kennedy – that is, if you were someone who saw value in learning new things (more on that later):

#1: While Senator Kennedy was a man who may have been less than perfect, he never blamed others for his flaws and errors in judgment. In contrast, you seem to blame the media for your every blunder, including your disastrous unscripted speeches and interviews, and even every scandal that has been your family’s in the making. No one is buying it.

#2: Another important Ted Kennedy quality was his strong respect for his opponents. While he may have disagreed with certain of their ideas, he still stated, “Republicans love this country just as much as I do.” It was one of the secrets of his success – the ability to reach across the aisle and acknowledge the patriotism of others instead of questioning their loyalty to America. Sarah, when you told a group of small town conservatives how nice it was to be among “good Americans like yourselves”, the rest of us were left speculating as to just what kind of “bad Americans” you must think we are.

#3: Another key trait of Senator Kennedy’s was the one we all heard about from his sons and his niece, Caroline, in their eulogies. While they all jokingly reminisced about how lengthy and arduous some of his “history tours” were for them as children, they learned from him the need for a serious understanding of history if one ever plans to make history oneself. You, however according to published accounts from insiders in the McCain campaign, couldn’t be bothered putting in the time to learn about the complex chain of events that shaped many of the issues you would be handling as the second most powerful person in our government

#4: And finally, as was obvious from his longevity in office, from his tenacity on certain issues such as universal health care and from the way he taught his son to make it up the hill after his leg amputation, Teddy obviously knew that you don’t throw in the towel. “My dad was never bowed, he never gave up, and there was never quit in dad,” his son Patrick said. Sarah, when you were sworn in as Governor of Alaska, you accepted a full term of office. Did someone suddenly spring the concept of “lame duck” on you after a couple of years in office? Are you setting the new protocol for all politicians when their lame duck status looms on the horizon? We are still waiting to see your bigger, better impact on society you have told us you intend to make now that you are free of the barriers of being the highest elected official in your state. Something tells me that if Ted Kennedy had been in your shoes, he would have stayed in that office. But as we all too well aware, he wasn’t and you were…. and sadly for us all, Sarah Palin, you’re no Ted Kennedy.

The scariest thing I hear about the Palin nomination was that she would appeal to voters because they would be able to relate to her and she to them. I get that. There are many places where relatability is key. I am a recovering addict alcoholic and finding another group that relates to my struggles is/was key to my sobriety. When I am at school I find myself grouping with others whose kids share the same issues, interests. People tell me all the time that the More magazine article where I showed what my real body looked like in comparison to the air brushed images most women are fed, was important and made me relatable. That too is great. The problem is I may be relatable and share some of your experiences and concerns but you don’t want me as president of United States. Relatability gets you nothing in a complex financial crisis. Relatability doesn’t help you understand the Gordian knot of trouble in the Middle East. Relatability doesn’t help you untangle the obscenity which is our health care and insurance system and relatability doesn’t train the hundreds of thousands of new teachers and repair and rebuild the smashed infrastructure and schools where they work.